Music Trade Review

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THE
WANT LAW AGAINST CONTESTS.
Milwaukee Piano Dealers' Association to Take
Fight
to Legislature—Walter
Gaulke a
Prominent Champion—Move of Milwaukee
Dealers Arouses Widespread Interest.
(Special to The Review.)
Milwaukee, Wis., Jan. 2, 1911.
The fight which is being waged by the Milwau-
kee Piano Dealers' Association against the certifi- •
cate, the contest and other questionable methods in
the piano trade, will be taken to the Wisconsin
Legislature. One of the first bills to be introduced
when the Legislature convenes next week will be
;i measure drawn up by the legislative committee
of the local association, with the aid of Henry F.
Cochems, one of Milwaukee's best known lawyers.
Despite the claim of the certificate and contest men
that such a bill will be unconstitutional, it is the
firm belief of the association that the bill will be
made into a law which will do much toward elevat-
ing the piano business in Wisconsin.
Although Attorney Cochems will appear for the
bill before the Legislature, its chief supporter will
be Walter Gaulke, the enterprising young manager
of the William Gaulke & Son piano house, 2011)
Fond du Lac avenue, this city, and the local repre-
sentative of the Crown, Kurtzmann and other
pianos. Mr. Gaulke attracted no end of attention
recently by his challenge to certificate men to meet
him in debate on the certificate problem. The fact
that the certificate supporters could not muster up
enough courage to lock horns with him on the
question did not feaze Mr. Gaulke, and he carried
on the "debate" alone, speaking to an audience of
nearly 300 people at Kittlemann's hall. The mem-
bers of the local dealers' association are looking
for Mr. Gaulke to make as able an address before
the Legislature as he did at his "debate."
Mr. Gaulke also believes that there is cause for
reform in stencil piano circles and strongly advo-
cates some system of registration for the various
stencil lines so that the public may know something
of the reputation of each line.
PIANO JVUN SUED.
Wealthy Woman Charges Bad Faith in Stock
Selling Deal.
(Special to The Review.)
Louisville, Ky., Dec. 31, 1910.
It is announced that Mrs. Virginia M. Sale, daugh-
ter of the late Daniel Parr, one of the wealthiest
citizens of Louisville, Ky., and said to be worth
Good Strings a Vital
Necessity!
Do you realize the weakness which
comes to a piano through poor strings?
If all piano manufacturers fully real-
ized this they would insist upon the best.
And, right here, we might say that it is
that quality which has gained the Schaff
strings such a strong position with piano
manufacturers.
Critical men know full well their value
and know that the most rigid tests have
been applied to the Schaff products be-
fore leaving the factory.
JOHN A. SCHAFF
CHICAGO:
141 W. Michigan St.
NEW YORK:
767 East 133d St.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
over a million dollars in her own right, has brought
suit against Llewellyn Smith, a large stockholder
in the Smith & Nixon Co., of this city, for $5,000,
the value of 50 shares in the piano company.
Mrs. Sale charges bad faith upon the part of the
defendant in persuading her to buy thirty-five
shares of the stock, of which she already owned
15 shares. Mr. Smith's answer to the suit has not
yet been made public.
OUR EXPORT ANDJMPORT TRADE.
Import Trade of Musical Instruments Shows
Increase—Exports for the Month Are Also
Larger—Player Shipments Make Fine Rec-
ord—The Figures in Detail Regarding the
Various Instruments Furnish Some Interest-
ing Particulars to Our Readers.
(Scecial to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, Jan. 3, 1911.
The summary of exports and imports of the
commerce of the United States for the month of
New York
Ca hill
Telharmonic
Co. Want
November, 1910, the latest period for which it has
Franchises from City—Plan Tried Before.
been compiled, has just been issued by the Bureau
The New York Cahill Telharmonic Co. have of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and
applied to the city for franchises for the operation Labor. The figures relating to musical merchan-
of wires for the purpose of distributing music dise, including piano?', organs, piano players and
electrically throughout the city. In making the miscellaneous "small goods"" in the musical field
application the company state that they are willing arc as follows :
The dutiable imports of musical instruments dur-
to make an initial payment of $10,000 to the city,
$5,000 within three months of the date of the sign- ing November amounted to $143,835, as compared
ing of the contract and $5,000 more within twelve with $100,1! 10 worth which were imported the same
months of the same date. In addition they are will- month of 1909. The eleven months' total ending
November shows importations valued at $1,302,235,
ing to pay a percentage of the gross receipts, a per-
centage which increases each year and shall not as against $1,219,939 worth of musical instruments
imported during tlie same period of 1909. This
be less than $15,000 a year for the last five years.
The system was installed at 39th street and gives an increase in imports for the eleven months
Broadway, New York, a couple of yea.rs ago, and endinj- November of $82,290.
though tried out for some time the success- of the
The import figures for the eleven months' period
experiment was not encouraging. It is stated that for the three years are as follows: 1908, $1,092,322;
since that time the system has been much im- 1909, $1,219,939; 1910, $1,092,322.
proved.
The total domestic exports of musical instru-
ments for November, 1910, amounted to $340,068,
GERMANS WANT PATENT WAR.
as compared with $294,504 for the same month of
the previous year. The eleven months' exportation
Manufacturers of Toos Ask Government to
of musical instruments amounted to $2,972,580, as
Cancel Agreement with United States.
against $2,673,059 for the same period in 1909.
(Special to The Review.)
This shows an increase in exports for the eleven
Berlin, Dec. 31, 1910.
months ending November of $700,473.
German manufacturers of machine tools through
The export figures for the eleven months' period
thsir association have sent a demand to the Impe- for the three years are as follows: 1908, 2,570,972;
rial Government for the abrogation of the patent 1099, 2,673,059; 1910, 2,972,580.
agreement between the United Stales and Germany
Of 'the aggregate exportatious in November there
of February 23, 190!). The grievance of the German
were 911 organs, valued at $01,227, as compared
manufacturers is that the condition preliminary to with 1,024 organs in 190!), valued at $73,035. The
making the agreement, namely, that American pat- eleven months' total shows that we exported 7,968
ents should be manufactured in Germany the same organs, valued at $611,260, as against 8,638 organs,
as German patents should be manufactured m valued at $642,863, for the same period in 1909, and
America, has not been carried out, and that conse- 8,915, valued at $024,377, for the same period in
quently German manufacturers are at a disadvan- 1908.
tage.
In November, 1910, we exported 469 pianos, val-
Owing to the unconditional import of American
ued at $118,957, as against 502 pianos, valued at
machine tools before the agreement referred to was $123,549, m No\ ember, 1909. The eleven months'
reached American manufacturers had to sell their total export shows 1,477 pianos, valued at $1,033,253,
patents to German manufacturers or at least to as compared with 4.001, valued at $943,873, ex-
employ German ag?ntv This condition of affairs ported in the same period of 1909, and 3,201, valued
no longer exists, yet according to the German man- at $754,844 for the same period in 1908.
ufacturers the Americans are not complying with
Of ilie aggregate cxportations in November,
the agreement.
therj were 296 piano-players, valued at $78,899'.
For this reason tluy want the agreement abro-
i-'nr the eleven months' period, 2,621 of these in-
gated.
struments, valued at $172,100, were sent abroad.
The value of "all other instruments and parts
PUCCINI AUTOGRAPHS KNABE PIANO.
thereof" sent abroad during November, 1910,
While in New York to attend the premiere of
amounted lo $80,995 ; in the same month of 1909
ln's new opera, "The Girl of the Golden West," the value was estimated at $35,879.
Puccini, the famous composer, took occasion to
The total exports for the eleven months under
visit Knabe Hall, where before leaving he placed this heading foot up.$015,907, as against $510,016
his autograph upon the plate of the handsome exported during the same period of 1909, and
Knabe grand that had been in his apartment at $500,502 exported during the same period in 1908.
the Hotel Knickerbocker. Lacking a pencil or This shows an increase of $99,351.
pen, Puccini wrote his name with a matchstick,
WANT BRITISH TARIFF REFORM.
the end of which had been dipped in ink.
A set of resolutions favoring tariff reform in
GOOD BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA.
strong terms have been signed by every member of
Judging from reports from Australia the piano the British Music Trades' League, and Herbert
business of that country was in excellent shape J. Brinsmead, honorary secretary of that body,
during the past year. Nicholson & Co., Ltd., of
bas caused the resolutions and signatures thereto
Sydney, N. S. W., one of the leading piano and to be reproduced in circular form and is distribut-
music houses on that continent, at their annual ing the circulars throughout the trade in large
meeting recently declared a dividend of 10 per cent. numbers. Practically all the leading houses in the
on their stock for the fiscal yoar ending September music trade of Great Britain are members of the
30, 1910.
league.
ELECTRIC MUSIC FOR NEW YORK.
The Denver Musical Instrument & Supply Co.,
TO CLOSE OUT OLD BUSINESS.
Denver, Colo., have removed to larger and more
M. J. Siason, of M. Slason & Son, piano dealers,
conveniently arranged quarters in the store of the
of Malone, N. Y., has announced that he will close
Sharp Music Co., that city.
out the business at an early date and retire. The
Thos. Goggan & Bros, have moved their Dallas business was established over thirty years ago by
store to new quarters at 905 Elm street, that city. M. Slason, father of the present owner.